A University of Illinois student researcher recently identified a Southern flying squirrel in a university natural area for the first time in recent memory.
While flying squirrels are native to Illinois, this was the first time one has been documented in the area in decades as far as anyone can remember, said Max Allen, an Illinois Natural History Survey wildlife ecologist at the Prairie Research Institute.
Undergraduate animal sciences student Bethany Warner saw the flying squirrel while reviewing video from a camera trap that she had set for a project she leads in Allen’s Carnivore Ecology Lab. The flying squirrel triggered the camera in Brownfield Woods on Oct. 27.
Warner said it was a fun and unexpected find when she was reviewing footage for the project.
“It's always a thrill to see spatially rare or unique species, especially those living close by,” Warner said. “Captures like this one are a big part of why camera trapping is so captivating to me. You get the opportunity to see various species and their natural behaviors that would be difficult or impossible to observe in person.”
Flying squirrels are nocturnal, arboreal animals — making them more difficult to observe than some other mammals. Loose skin between their front and hind legs allows them to glide between trees.
Home to many mature — and some ancient — trees, Brownfield Woods is a 60-acre forest that is a remnant of the Big Grove old-growth forest in Champaign County. The property has been part of the university since 1939 and is managed by the U. of I. Committee on Natural Areas.
Brownfield Woods is one of about 10 sites totaling around 1,000 acres where the university has preserved the land for teaching and research, explained Jamie Ellis, Illinois Natural History Survey natural areas coordinator.
“Brownfield Woods is this island of forest that was once part of the Big Grove and now it’s surrounded by this mix of urban, suburban, and agricultural landscape,” Ellis said. “These properties are very valuable to the university community for teaching and research and that’s really what they’ve provided for a very long time.”
They also provide food and habitat for a variety of species, including meeting some of the unique habitat needs of the flying squirrel such as large trees and tree cavities.
“The flying squirrel is a unique and interesting species and biodiversity is good,” Ellis noted. “Having many different and abundant plants and animals on the landscape is a good sign of a healthy ecosystem.”